STAND. COM. REP. NO. 85

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 305
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred
H.B. No. 305 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill, as received, is to:

     (1)  Restructure the Board of Regents ("Board") of the
          University of Hawaii by adding three additional ex
          officio members; 

     (2)  Provide that the appointive members of the Board may
          serve up to two, eight-year terms; 

     (3)  Provide that vacancies on the Board shall be filled on
          an interim basis by a majority of a quorum of the
          remaining members, terminating upon the Governor's
          appointment; and

     (4)  Establish an advisory committee for Board appointments.

     Testimony in support of this bill was submitted by the
University of Hawaii Professional Assembly and Dawson
International, Inc.  The University of Hawaii and the Hawaii
State Ethics Commission submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that the current size of the Board is a
sound and manageable size.  Your Committee also finds that

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 85
                                 Page 2

 
because the Governor has the ability to immediately fill any
vacant Board positions, it is not necessary to amend the current
system at this time.  In addition, your Committee feels that the
proposed advisory committee to assist the Governor in making
regent selections could result in special interests being added
to the make-up of the Board.

     Your Committee does find, however, that the existing four-
year terms for appointive members is too short to provide the
Board with consistency and much-needed independence.  However,
your Committee also finds that the proposed eight-year terms for
appointive members are too long.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Deleting language that provides for the addition of
          three ex officio members;

     (2)  Deleting language that would require vacancies on the
          Board to be filled on an interim basis by a majority
          vote of a quorum of the remaining members of the Board;

     (3)  Deleting language that establishes an advisory
          committee to assist the Governor in the selection of
          Board members;

     (4)  Providing that members of the Board may serve up to
          two, six-year terms; and

     (5)  Making technical amendments for purposes of style and
          clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report,
your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B.
No. 305, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 305, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Higher Education,



                                   ______________________________
                                   DAVID MORIHARA, Chair